The Grande halle de la Villette (originally: Grande Halle aux Boeufs; translation: “Great Hall of Cattle”), formerly a slaughterhouse and now a cultural center, is located in Paris (France). It is situated on Place de la Fontaine aux Lions within the Parc de la Villette, in the 19th arrondissement.
While the Grande Halle is within Paris’ main abattoir district, the historical building now serves as a venue for trade fairs, exhibitions, music festivals, and open-air cinema.
The Grande Halle is made of cast iron and glass. It covers an area of 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft), and measures 250 metres (820 ft) by 85 metres (279 ft). Three sides are open while the fourth, made of glass, is the entrance to the hall. Speakers are hung from hooks on the overhead canopy and not easily visible to the public in order to separate the listener from the building’s technical elements; however, there is a slight reverberation because of the glass roof.
The hall’s far end is described as the central axis of the building’s main visual field. Plans for an organic restaurant by architects Gilles & Boissier include using an adjacent garden as a source for menu requirements; Café de la Villette is 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft) in size.
Open every day, 10.30am-10.30pm.
Address: 211 Av. Jean Jaurès, 75019 Paris, France
Phone: +33 1 40 03 77 01
Opened: 1867
See more:
